The Military Journals of Two Private Soldiers, 1758-1775 Part 3

[Footnote 59: Ticonderoga.]

[Footnote 60: The Indian who seized Putnam tied him to a tree, and for a time he was exposed to the cross-fire of the combatants. His garments were riddled by bullets, but, strange to say, not one touched his person. He was carried away in the retreat, his wrists tightly bound with cords. The Indians rejoiced over the capture of their great enemy, and he was doomed to the torture. In the deep forest he was stripped naked, bound to a sapling, wood was piled high around him, the death-songs of the savages were chanted, and the torch was applied. Just then a heavy shower of rain almost extinguished the flames. They were again bursting forth with fiercer intensity, when a French officer, informed of what was going on, darted through the crowd of yelling savages, and released the prisoner. He was delivered to Montcalm at Ticonderoga, then sent to Montreal, and, after being treated kindly, was exchanged for a prisoner taken by Colonel Bradstreet at Frontenac.]

Son. 13th. Day the chief of our men upon duty and the rest went to meeting the afternoon the text was in the 2nd of timothy the 1st chapter & 10 verce.

Mon. 14. I had nothing to du I rote a letter to John.

Tues. 15. I was upon picit[61] guard & wet and stormy it was 1 of the regalars whipt for sleping upon guard.

[Footnote 61: Picket.]

Wednesday 16. The ranjers discoverd a scout of French & com in to Fort Edward and all that were able were ready at a minits warning to day I sent a Letter to John Lyon.

Thursday 17th. w, p, 31 stripes stil & Nothing to do the Liev.ts fixed up their tents.

Friday 18th. 6 of our men were ordered to go over to work upon the Block House over the river I was raly tired at night.

Sat.u.r.day 19th. I washed My clothes Col fitch at Salatogue.

Sonday 20th. We were almost all out upon duty to work at the High Ways and in the after noon a very hard shower which sot our tents all aflote.

Monday 21st. I went down to Fort Mizerey[62] & I heard of John Day's death at Saletogue this day Morris came up and we lived well.

[Footnote 62: Fort Misery was a breastwork at the mouth of Moses's kill, or creek, a short distance from Fort Miller, on the east side of the Hudson.]

Tuesday 22d. I went up the river to look for a horse Steven & I was cald upon picit guard.

Wednesday 23d. I went out to look oxen and was treated well 1 mans gun went of and cut of his finger we drove out the 2 men out of the Block House kep the great Cattle.

Thursday, 24th. I was cald out to guard up teams and to work on the road & had a Jil of rum for it Zachariah Catlin died at Fort Edward.

Friday 25th. I was cald upon the quorter guard & we heard the great guns that were fired at the Lake[63] they shot at a mark and our Provinshals beat them & it made them very mad.

[Footnote 63: At Fort George, at the head of Lake George.]

Sat.u.r.day 26. David Lyon and Barnes sot out to go to Albany sick this day they held a rigimental Court Mershal upon 3 deserters of Captain Mathers company one William Cannody & William Clemanon were Judged to have 1000 Lashes and to day receved 200 & 50 stripes a peace tother was forgiven.

Sonday 27. I was out upon the works at the great Block House we were out of provision we drawed for 7 days & but 4 gorn so the regalers shot Pigeons and our men did so to.

Monday 28th. Every Private in our company was out upon duty that was able, & about 4 a clock we came in and the orders were that every man should make ready to fire 3 valleys[64] and first they fired the cannon at the Fort one after tother round the Fort which is 21 then the small arms & so 3 rounds a piece and then made a great fire on the Perrade and played round it & 1 Jil of Rum a man aloud for the frollic & a Barrel of Beer for a Company[65] & very wet knight.

[Footnote 64: Volleys.]

[Footnote 65: It was the king's birthday. The firing of twenty-one heavy guns formed a royal salute.]

Tuesday 29th. Very wet in the Morning then cleared of cold I went upon duty and sent a Letter Home.

Friday September ye 1st. Our duty was to help git out the Cannon out of the Bottom of the river that was dropt in by the means of going to near the end of the Brig[66] and sunk the scows and drownd 1 ox very cold work A woman whipt 70 stripes & drumed out of Camp.

[Footnote 66: Bridge.]

Saterday 2nd. I was cald upon the pickit guard to day last nite I went down to Fort Misketor[67] & Smith Ainsworth treated us well.

[Footnote 67: Fort Musquito was a breastwork cast up at the mouth of Snooks' creek.]

Sonday 3rd. I was out upon the escort and every man upon som duty I went to meeting part of the fore noon and the text was in acts 24 & 25 Charles Ripla was put in Ensign.

Monday 4th. Our Post sot of home I went down to Fort Misketor to guard teams and the Post and the Lobster's[68] and our men hopt & ra.s.sled[69] together to see which would beat and our men Beat.

[Footnote 68: This was a nickname for the regular troops, who were dressed in scarlet uniforms.]

[Footnote 69: Wrestled.]

Tuesday 5th. Stil & Nothing strange.

Wednesday 6th. Most all of our men upon duty I was to work a making a road to go up to the great Block House.

Thursday 7th. All our men out upon works guardin teams a great number of them nigh 100 & when we came back their was a scout com in to Fort Edward that went out from the Lake they discoverd nothing.

Friday 8th. This day sergent Erls went out to Fort An[70] after the Con-nu[71] & Lieut. Larnard & Ephraim Ellinghood Knap & John Richason and Jeb Brooks & Hezekiah Carpenter they 6 of our company 40 in all went along I went to work at the high way & had half a pint of Rum for it.

[Footnote 70: Fort Anne was erected in 1757, a year before the occurrences here narrated took place. It was a strong blockhouse of logs, with portholes for cannon and loopholes for musketry, and surrounded by a picket of pine-saplings. When the writer visited the spot in 1848, he dug up the part of one of the pickets yet remaining in the earth, and, on splitting it, it emitted the pleasant odor of a fresh pine-log, though ninety years had elapsed since it was placed there. This fort was near the bank of Wood creek, about eleven miles from the head of Lake Champlain, at the village of Whitehall. It was in the line of Burgoyne's march toward the Hudson, in 1777; and near it quite a severe skirmish took place between Colonel Long, of Schuyler's army, and a British detachment under Colonel Hill, on the 8th of July, the day after Ticonderoga was abandoned to the enemy. Victory was almost within the grasp of Colonel Long, when his ammunition failed, and he was compelled to retreat.]

[Footnote 71: Canoe.]

Saterday 9th. I was warned a quarter guard and I changed with Moses Peak and went upon the Escort & got in by 12 a clock I was warned out to work but did not do much sergent Erls com in with his Con-nu--and the Jineral was much pleased with it.

Sonday 10. I was upon guard but went to meeting a part of the fore noon and the text was in the 24 of Acts & 25 verce & the Afternoon the text was in James the 6th & 12 verce.

Monday 11. I took 4 days provision & Josh Barrit and one ranjer with me & we went out near fort An and we spied a fire and som person and we com back and made our report to the Jeneral & he blamed us som and said we should have a new pilot and go again. Jo Downer put under guard.

Tuesday 12th. I was freed from duty and we went & split out som plank to du up our tent.

Wednesday 13th. To work in the Fort a wheeling gravel all day 4 regulars whipt in Fort som for gaming & one for being absent after being warned upon guard.

Thursday 14th. I was warned on Escort down to Mizzery[72] and flankt all the day Tuesday 12 at night there was 2 Bonfires & 2 Barrels of Rum aloud for the Rejoicing of Broad Street's taking Catarocrway.[73]

[Footnote 72: Fort Misery.]

[Footnote 73: The Indian name of the site of Fort Frontenac (where Kingston, Upper Canada, now stands), taken by Colonel Bradstreet, was Cataraqua. That was also the Indian name for Lake Ontario.]

Friday 15th. Day I was to work over upon the Island & worked hard a shovling dirt &c Ephraim Ellinghood taken poorly.

Sat.u.r.day 16th. Day I went to cuting fa.s.sheens[74] & stented 4 a peace in half a day & 12 stakes.

[Footnote 74: Fascines--bundles of sticks, mixed with earth, and used for filling ditches in the construction of forts.]

Sonday 17th. All our men upon works Mr. Pomri[75] preachd 1 sermon & his text in James Chapter 5th & 12 verce Stephen child had a post to Albany and sot out this day one regular com in that was a fis.h.i.+ng at half way Brook.